Adrenal burnout is fatigue that is not
relieved by rest and sleep. It is super common, and it often goes on for
years.I was one of these people,
so I know.A lot of our clients
are in this group.

You don’t have to go through this, and
you don’t have to take hormones or anti-depressants, which can make it worse. Also, you don’t need a lot of
tests, or chelation therapy, in my experience.I owe a great debt to Dr. Paul Eck,
whose deep interest in the adrenal glands inspired this article.

Note:
In nutritional balancing science, one never focuses on just one organ or
gland.The reason is that the body
works mainly as one whole system, not as a collection of organs and glands.

This article focuses on the adrenal
glands because of their central role in the body.However, in reality a corrective program for the adrenals
must address all aspects of body chemistry, diet, lifestyle and detoxification
– not just the adrenal glands.

WHAT ARE THE ADRENAL GLANDS?

The adrenal glands are rounded, sort-of
disc-shaped glands about 3-4 inches across.One sits atop each kidney, located on either side of your
lower back, just above where the ribs end.

You may at times feel a sensation of
pressure in this area when under stress.However, muscular tension and other factors also commonly cause pain or
a sensation of pressure in this area.The
adrenal glands are essential for life.They secrete a number of hormones that prepare our bodies to respond to
stress.These include adrenalin, also called epinephrine, noradrenalin, also called norepinephrine, cortisol and cortisone.The adrenal glands also produce aldosterone, estrogens, testosterone, progesterone, pregnenelone
and DHEA.These
hormones regulate many body activities.Of greatest importance for this article is that the adrenal hormones,
particularly adrenalin and cortisol, activate the
body’s fight-or-flight response.This
consists of increasing the amount of glucose or sugar in the blood, raising
blood pressure, and promoting increased energy production.There are many other effects of the
adrenal hormones, but we will focus on these effects for now.Of
great importance to our discussion is that the adrenal glands are innervated
and stimulated by activity of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic or
automatic nervous system of the body.This is the part of our nervous system that activates when we must
respond to threats to our life.

SYMPTOMS OF ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY

Adrenal
insufficiency is commonly associated with the following symptoms, which can
vary from mild to extreme.

WARNING:ADRENAL
EXHAUSTION AND INSUFFICIENCY ARE NOT COMMONLY RECOGNIZED MEDICAL DIAGNOSES

The
medical profession is far behind when it comes to understanding adrenal gland
problems.In 2011, many still do
not recognize adrenal insufficiency,
adrenal exhaustion or adrenal burnout
as real health conditions.This is
very sad, as the situation is so common.The official allopathic medical beliefs about the adrenal glands are:

1.
Either the adrenals work fine or they do not work at all. Thisis the prevailing viewpoint, even
though it makes no sense.Doctors
are well aware, for example, that most other glands such as the thyroid,
pancreas, pituitary, ovaries, and testes can have many degrees of
dysfunctions.Why should the same
not be true of the adrenal glands?

(When the adrenals don’t function well
at all, doctors call it Addison’s disease, for which they give cortisol or cortisone for life.With a nutritional balancing program, so far all of them
have responded well, and did not need to stay on the cortisone therapy.I do not know whether this will occur
in all cases, but I am just reporting what I have observed so far.)

2.
If you are tired, depressed, or have low blood sugar, the best idea is to take
anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs or other drugs.This is also ridiculous.The first course of action should be to
assess and then heal your adrenal glands, in most cases.

3.
Serum, urine or saliva hormone tests for the adrenals are adequate tests.This is also totally incorrect,
from my experience.

I find that a properly performed and
properly interpreted hair mineral analysis is just as good, and usually far
better than any hormone tests.The
hormone tests are not sensitive enough, and do not give the same information as
a correctly interpreted hair mineral analysis.The mineral analysis not only tells a great deal about the
status of the adrenal glands with mathematical precision, but it often tells us
why the adrenals are not functioning properly.The test also tells a lot about the sympathetic nervous
system, which is intimately connected to the adrenal glands and their
functioning.

4.
The medical answer for adrenal problems is usually a drug.This is unfortunate.Usually, we find, the answer is not any
drug, but elimination of all the drugs one has taken for one’s entire
lifetime.In addition, one must
remove many toxic metals, toxic chemicals, and renourish
the entire body.Then the adrenals
begin to function normally and one’s energy returns.

5.
Doctors ignore a simple adrenal test they could do in their offices called the
Ragland Test or Ragland Sign.This is a very simple test in which the doctor takes your blood pressure
while you are lying down and relaxed.Then the patient suddenly stands up and the doctor or assistant takes
your blood pressure again.The
pressure should go up.In those
with weak adrenals, it often goes down and the patient feels weak, shaky and/or
a little dizzy.It is a crude
test, but it would be better than doing nothing , and putting people on more
drugs that do not address adrenal insufficiency at all.

Several
other simple tests can be done to check your adrenals in a crude way.One is to look in the mirror and shine
a strong light like a flashlight in one eye.The pupil of the eye (the black part in the middle) should
contract quickly.If it does
not,the adrenals are most likely
fairly weak.Another crude test
you can do at home is to gently run the tines or spikes of a fork or similar
object across the inside of your forearm.They should leave little lines on your forearm that should turn red
quickly.If they do not turn red
within about 10 seconds, this is another crude indicator of weak adrenals.These tests are not that accurate, but
can be done safely at home with no formal instruction or training.

DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY OF ADRENAL IMBALANCES

The adrenal glands may develop various
types of problems.The terminology
can be needlessly confusing.Let us
examine some of the commonly used terms.

Cushing’s
disease.A rather severe overactivity or hyperfunction of
the glands is called Cushing’s syndrome or Cushing’s disease.It is characterized by a ‘moon face’,
obesity in the trunk, muscle weakness, poor wound healing, kidney stones and
often psychological symptoms.This
condition is relatively rare and usually caused by a tumor of the adrenal
glands that secretes cortisol or cortisone, two of
the important adrenal hormones.It
could be caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland, or perhaps in the
hypothalamus.

Addison’s
disease.A type of extremely
low adrenal activity is known as Addison’s disease.It is characterized by weakness, fatigue, low blood
pressure, changes in skin color, dehydration, anorexia, nausea, decreased cold
tolerance and dizziness.It is
also considered a fairly rare condition.Addison’s
disease could also be caused at times by a tumor on the adrenal glands that
shuts down the glands completely.It may also be caused by a severe shock to the system, as happened in
the famous case of president John F. Kennedy.Mr.
Kennedy developed Addison’s disease when his small patrol boat was suddenly
rammed by a Japanese destroyer on a dark night during World War II.Most of the crew were killed
instantly.He survived, but the
shock damaged his body and he developed Addison’s disease as a result.

Adrenal
insufficiency.This is a
milder form of adrenal imbalance, characterized by low cortisol
levels.Some doctors also
distinguish between primary adrenal insufficiency and secondary adrenal insufficiency.Primary usually means the problem is
within the adrenal glands themselves.Secondary means the adrenal glands are not the problem, but rather the
problem stems from the pituitary gland, hypothalamus, or other structures or
glands that innervate, activate or stimulate the adrenal glands.

I observe that in many cases, the
adrenal glands themselves are toxic and nutritionally depleted.This would be a primary adrenal insufficiency.At other times, the cause of the problem is more due to an
autonomic nervous system imbalance, which would also be called a secondary adrenal insufficiency.In the rare cases of tumors, these can
be primary (located in the adrenal glands) or secondary (located in the
pituitary gland or elsewhere).

Cortisol reversal.Some doctors also diagnose an
interesting adrenal problem called cortisol
reversal.In this
situation, cortisol levels are low in the morning
when they should be higher.Then,
later in the day, they increase and are too high in the evening and at
night.This I also consider an
autonomic nervous system imbalance that may be related to a phenomenon called sympathetic dominance.

Adrenal
burnout syndrome. Adrenal burnout syndrome is basically a mild form of
Addison’s disease.It is a low
functioning or underactivity of the adrenal
glands.It may also be termed adrenal insufficiency or adrenal exhaustion.It differs from Addison’s disease in
several important ways:

1. In most cases, it can be corrected
using natural methods.We do not
like using cortisone therapy or any bio-identical hormone therapy for this
condition.Most often it is not
needed and just slows true recovery of the adrenal glands.

2. In most cases, the cause is not a
single shock to the system, as with Addison’s disease.Instead, it is usuallya slow decline in adrenal activity due
to nutritional deficiencies and the accumulation of toxic metals and chemicals
in the body.As these causes are
removed, the adrenal glands easily recover.

3. Unlike Addison’s disease, adrenal
insufficiency or burnout is very, very common today, especially among
adults.However, few physicians
are prepared to diagnose it.

Fatigue
versus adrenal burnout.Adrenal
burnout syndrome differs from simple fatigue in that burnoutis not relieved by getting a few good
nights sleep, as is the case with fatigue.This
is the case because adrenal exhaustion is not just a sleep deficit, although
that may be an aspect of the syndrome.Burnout is a deeper derangement of the body’s energy-producing system,
of which fatigue is one symptom.

These are some of the major terms used
today to describe adrenal problems.However, If one uses nutritional
balancing science for correction, it is not necessary to test for and
distinguish among these conditions, in my experience.The reason is that a properly designed nutritional
balancing program will correct all of them.For this reason, in this article the words adrenal insufficiency, adrenal fatigue,
adrenal weakness or adrenal burnout
syndrome may be used interchangeably.

The term Addison’s disease is not used as much in this article.However, in my limited experience with
it, this condition also responds excellently to a nutritional balancing
program.

DETECTING ADRENAL BURNOUT

Unfortunately, when a patient complains
of fatigue, depression or other symptoms that are often related to the adrenal
glands, most of the time the doctor does not ask the right questions and does
not run tests of the adrenal glands.Instead,
patients are told to take a vacation, or given an anti-depressant, or told it
is “in their head”.The
right questions, however, would often be enough to assess the condition fairly
accurately.These would include
“How many hours of sleep are you getting?” , “Do you use caffeine or other
stimulants”and “What other
symptoms are you having?”.Let us
examine how this can often identify adrenal burnout, even without other
testing.

Signs
and symptoms.A simple and
quite reliable way to assess adrenal burnout in a general sense is with signs
and symptoms.A common sign,
for example, is a low blood pressure in the absence of other obvious causes.Usually,
the person will also often feel fatigued, even though one sleeps well.If one is not sleeping, the problem may
simply be a sleep deficit.One may
not feel tired, however, if you drink coffee, other caffeinated beverages or
use other stimulants.Another
common symptom is depression.Others include joint pain, cravings for sweets, pain in the low back
area and perhaps excessive thirst or craving for sweet and salty foods.
Together these symptoms can help one decide if one needs further testing.

Physical
tests.Several tests that
should be part of every physical examination may be helpful.These are discussed in a separate
article on this site entitled Adrenal
Exhaustion – Physical Signs.

HAIR MINERAL ANALYSIS AND ADRENAL BURNOUT

Hair mineral analysis is a very exciting,
cost-effective and non-invasive test.I have used hair tissue mineral analysis to help assess the condition of
the adrenal glands for almost 30 years with more than 25,000 clients.I am very satisfied with the results
using hair analysis for adrenal assessment and to guide the correction of all
types of adrenal imbalances.Hair analysis indicators for adrenal
insufficiency or burnout on a hair mineral test.To be accurate, the hair sample must not be washed at the
laboratory.For each of the
adrenal burnout mineral patterns below, there is an article on this website
that describes it in more detail.The patterns are:

ŠA slow
oxidation rate.The slower the
oxidation rate, the more likely one is in adrenal burnout or exhaustion.

ŠA
sodium/potassium ratio less than about 2.5:1. The lower the ratio, the worse the adrenal condition, in
general.

ŠA double
low ratio pattern.This
consists of a sodium/potassium ratio less than 2.5 plus a calcium/magnesium
ratio less than about 4.

ŠThree low
macromineral pattern.This occurs when three of the four macrominerals
(calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium) are lower than their ideal values of
40 mg%, 6 mg%, 25 mg% and 10 mg% respectively).

ŠFour lows
pattern.This occurs when all
four of the macrominerals above are below their ideal
levels.

ŠPerhaps
other imbalances, such as a copper level of 10 mg% (100 parts per million)
or more, a phosphorus level of less than 12 mg%, and perhaps others.These are less reliable.

Quantifying adrenal burnout. Each of the
following criteria adds a multiple to the burnout pattern.For example, if two of the following
indicators are present, I call it double burnout.The hair must not be washed at the laboratory for any of
these criteria to be valid.

1. Slow oxidation, especially very slow
oxidation, with a calcium/potassium ratio greater than about 200 (ideal is
about 4).

2. A calcium shell may overlap with
very slow oxidation, but may be a separate burnout indicator.

3. A sodium/potassium ratio less than
about 2.5.If the sodium/potassium
ratio is very low, then adrenal exhaustion is usually more severe.

4. A sodium level less than about 11
mg%.

5. A potassium level less than about 5
mg%.

6. Four lows
pattern, also called four low macrominerals.This is a double burnout pattern.

7. Phosphorus less than 12 mg%.Phosphorus less than 10 may be a double
burnout indicator.

When more than one of these indicators
are revealed, one refers to the situation as double burnout, triple burnout or perhaps quadruple or quintuple
burnout.

What
if no adrenal exhaustion patterns appear on the test?In rare cases, none of the adrenal
burnout patterns appear on the first or even the second hair mineral analysis.This occurs because other factors such
as toxic metals may rarely mask the burnout patterns.

In these cases, we begin a nutritional
balancing program based on what is revealed on the test.The true condition of the adrenals will
be revealed on a mineral analysis retest in several months, in almost all
cases.

Program
design. The specific patterns revealed on the hair mineral test are not
only helpful to assess the condition of the adrenal glands.They also tell us how to proceed to
correct the condition.

The patterns tell us a person’s
oxidation type,oxidation rate,
tendency for inflammation and infection, deficiencies of important minerals
such as zinc and others, and much more.Using this information, a program is designed that will slowly rebalance
the body chemistry, improve the functioning of all the glands, and restore
health.

OTHER ADRENAL GLAND TESTS

Blood,
urine and saliva hormone testing.Many holistic doctors today are testing the levels of adrenal hormones
in the blood, urine or saliva.I
do not use these tests, as a rule, for the following reasons:

1. They
are not needed.We find the
hair mineral test, when understood properly, provides plenty of information
about adrenal activity and how to correct the diet and lifestyle, and recommend
other healing modalities to rebuild the adrenal glands.

2. Cost.
Hormone tests, in particular, are usually several hundred dollars and must be
repeated at regular intervals.This is prohibitive for many people, especially compared to the hair mineral
test.

CAUSES OF ADRENAL BURNOUT

Excessive
stress, an important cause of burnout, can be from many sources. Chemical
toxicity and nutritional depletion are among the physical causes. Mental,
emotional or spiritual stress may be a major factor. Financial, family or other
stress may also contribute to burnout.Any
excessive stress can deplete the adrenals, especially when weakened by poor
nutrition. Working too much or emotional stress are two common causes.Excessive stimulation, especially for
children, is another cause. Fast-paced, high-stress, fear-based lifestyles are
a sure prescription for adrenal burnout.Other
stressors in cities are noise and electromagnetic pollution. Cell phones,
microwave towers and appliances like televisions, microwave ovens and computers
give off strong electrical fields.

Nutritional
Deficiencies are a common cause. When under stress, the need for nutrients
is much greater. Carbohydrates, when excessive in the diet, stress the
adrenals. Diets low in protein may also create deficiencies. Inadequate or poor
quality water affects oxygenation of the tissues.Most
diets are low in nutrients required by the adrenals. These include B-complex
vitamins, vitamins A, C and E, manganese, zinc, chromium, selenium and other
trace elements.The reasons for
this begin with how food is grown.Most food is grown on depleted soils. Processing and refining further
deplete nutrients. Habits
such as eating in the car or while on the run further diminish the value
derived from food. Also, allergic reactions to foods such as wheat and dairy
products can damage the intestines and reduce the absorption of nutrients.

Toxic
metals and chemicals often play a large role in adrenal burnout.Everyone is exposed to thousands
of chemicals in the air, the water and the food. Other sources are dental
materials and skin contact with chemicals.Over-the-counter and prescribed medications add to the
body’s toxic load.Most people do
not realize that antibiotics and many other drugs accumulate to some extent in
the liver and other organs.Toxins
may also be generated within the body due to impaired digestion.When food is not properly digested, it
either ferments or rots in the intestines, producing many harmful substances
that are absorbed into the body.A
healthy body has the ability to eliminate many toxins on a daily basis.However, as adrenal weakness develops,
the body’s ability to eliminate all toxins decreases.This produces a vicious cycle in which weaker adrenals
impairs the elimination of all poisons, which then further weakens the
adrenals.

Chronic
infections play a critical role in some cases of adrenal exhaustion.Chronic infections may originate
in infected teeth or gums, though they can be located anywhere in the
body.They contribute greatly to
the toxic load of the body.Infections also cause inflammation and stress that must be countered
using the adrenal hormones such as cortisol and
cortisone.

Stimulants
damage the adrenal glands.They
whip the adrenals.Caffeine, sugar
and alcohol are among the most common stimulants. Less
obvious but no less important stimulants may include anger, rage, arguing,
hatred, loud music, fearful news and even movies full of suspense or violence.Other
activities that may act as stimulants and must not be overlooked include
vigorous exercise, sexual preoccupations, recreational drug use or other
thrills.These often provide a
temporary “high”, which is caused in part by the secretion of high amounts of
adrenal hormones.However, over
time, this weakens the adrenals and can eventually lead to adrenal depletion
and insufficiency.

Stimulant
use, however, can also be a result of adrenal burnout.While stimulants can cause or
contribute to adrenal weakness, some who use stimulants do so because they are
in adrenal burnout already.Stimulants
are attractive to one in burnout to provide temporary energy. This is an
important appeal of the drug culture, both legal and recreational.It is also the appeal of loud music,
sexual addiction, and even anger.These
activities or attitudes can provide enough adrenal stimulation to allow a
person to feel better temporarily.This is an important reason why giving up one’s addictions can be
difficult.When one gives them up,
one must face the fact that one is exhausted, depressed and often just feels
awful due to adrenal burnout.It
is safe to say that most people addicted to stimulants or other drugs including
cigarettes, cocaine, marijuana, and others has some degree of adrenal
insufficiency.

Unhealthy
responses to stress are another cause of adrenal burnout.These include habits of worrying, or
becoming angry or afraid.Don’t worry, be happy is a great
prescription for adrenal burnout. This applies particularly to high strung,
nervous individuals and those with very active minds, as they are especially
prone to adrenal burnout.

Congenital
weak adrenals.Many children
today are born with weak adrenals due to their parents’ nutritional
deficiencies.This is not a
genetic problem.Instead, it is
due to the nutritionalimbalances
of the mother, in particular.These are passed through the placenta to the unborn child.For example, if the mother is
zinc-deficient, as most are, the baby is born low in zinc and often high in
copper, cadmium or other minerals that substitute for zinc to a degree.Fortunately, this means the problem can
be corrected, though it is better to prevent it, of course.By age three or four, these children
are in burnout.They are often
sick, depressed and have difficulty in school. Some of these children react to the situation by becoming
hyperactive,compulsive, obsessive
or by developing various other behavior problems.On
their hair mineral analyses, these children are often in a state of burnout at
this early age, a relatively new phenomenon, in my experience.By gently rebuilding their body
chemistry, however, their behavioral and other disorders generally vanish in a
few months to a few years.

SYMPTOMS OF ADRENAL BURNOUT

Common symptoms include fatigue, some
weakness and often depression.Others may be a craving for sweets, low blood pressure and low blood
sugar.Low energy impairs every
system of the body.Thus,
secondary symptoms can range from impaired digestion, aches and pains to
chronic or recurring infections.

Emotional and mental symptoms.Often, emotional and psychological
symptoms are present or even predominant.Depression is very common.Apathy, despair and even suicidal tendencies are also quite common.Emotional instability, mood swings,
bipolar disorder, anxiety, and irritability are also common symptoms associated
with adrenal burnout syndrome.The
world can look evil, one loses faith in people, and a hopeless attitude is not
uncommon.Compulsiveness
and obsessive-compulsive tendencies may be associated with adrenal
burnout.One may become addicted
or very attracted to excessive exercise, sex, loud music or other forms of
excitement. The unconscious goal is always the same, to stimulate the adrenals
into activity.

Many areas of life affected.Adrenal burnout affects every area
of life.One may lose interest in
friends, family and work.Relationships often suffer when one person in the relationship goes into
adrenal exhaustion.Unfortunately,
many with adrenal burnout function on anger and resentment. These act as
adrenal stimulants, providing a negative energy with which to function.Most of the world, in fact, functions
on the negative energy of anger.

Bigger
implications.While it is
beyond the scope of this article, entire nations can go into adrenal exhaustion
as a result of wars, famines and other catastrophes.When this occurs, the attitudes of the people change, and
with it the leaders they elect.This
has happened many times in history, and is an important hidden factor in our
politics of today in America.For
example, a population in burnout does not feel capable of taking care of
themselves.They will vote for
more and more government welfare programs, often bankrupting the nation,
without understanding the consequences of their votes.

Copper toxicity and burnout.Elevated copper and low zinc
related to adrenal burnout impair the immune system. Chronic infections may
develop.The stage is also set for
the development of degenerative conditions.Cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases
may be end-stage results of toxic accumulation and energy depletion.

Thyroid imbalances and burnout.Often secondary to adrenal
exhaustion are other glandular imbalances such as hypothyroidism.The thyroid gland and the adrenals have
a very close relationship and stress on one always affects the other.Much
less common is the development of a secondary hyperthyroidism, or overactivity of the thyroid.This may be a compensation for low adrenals, as the
condition will disappear as the adrenals are allowed to rest and rebuild.The
adrenal glands produce estrogen and progesterone.They are the main source of these hormones after
menopause.Premenstrual syndrome
and hot flashes often have to do with weakened adrenal glands.

Reduced
cellular energy production.Depression
and apathy are often the result of low energy production in the cells.Also, cortisol
provides a natural ‘high’.Thus,
low cortisol can contribute to feelings of depression
and even despair.Unsure if there
is energy to get through the day, anxiety may occur.Irritability is common as one is less able to handle even
minor stress.

Myth
#1.Adrenal burnout is
psychological. Burnout is a breakdown of the energy system of the body.
Vital minerals are depleted or “burned out” (used up) and replaced by toxic
metals.Psychological stress may
be a cause, and burnout can affect one’s emotions and behavior. However,
burnout itself is biochemical, not only psychological.Recovery
may involve improving emotions and dealing with psychological issues.However, it also involves rebuilding
body chemistry because it is a physical condition as well.

Myth
#2.People in burnout have no
energy and cannot work. Many in burnout hold full-time jobs or other
active lifestyles.They may also
appear in good health. However, they are often tired or stressed. They
may require stimulants in order to keep going. Some bury themselves in their
work to forget how tired they feel.One can go on like this for years in some degree of adrenal
burnout.This usually stops,
however, when burnout gets very serious, as there is not enough energy to
continue working hard and living a very active life.

Myth
#3.Vigorous exercise is good for
burnout. Vigorous exercise can be attractive to those in burnout.
Exercise may temporarily make one feel better.While it may provide a boost, vigorous exercise further
exhausts the bodies of those in burnout. People in burnout need to reduce
exercise, often to a minimum.This
helps conserve their energy and helps to allow their adrenals to rebuild.Exercise
in moderation can assist circulation and oxygenation, factors that may help
with burnout.However, excessive
exercise of any kind uses up energy and adrenal reserves that individuals in
burnout do not have and cannot afford to lose.

Myth
#4.A vacation, a diet or a
nutritional supplement can cause recovery from burnout. Most people
never recover from burnout, although they could if they followed a nutritional
balancing program to the letter.Recovery also requires a strong commitment to healing.Recovery also takes at least several
years.If one recovers faster, one
was not in adrenal burnout.

Myth
#5.Burnout occurs mainly in men.
In fact, it is more common in women today. This is due mainly to lifestyle
changes in women.Many women now
work outside the home and raise the children as well.Many are also in single-parent homes or both parents work
just to pay the bills and taxes.Women
are also more prone to copper toxicity, thyroid imbalances and other factors
that can contribute to adrenal burnout.Women also do not realize in most cases they are different from men and
have greater needs for rest and sleep.For all these reasons, we see more burnout in women today than in men.

Myth
#6.Burnout only occurs in those
in high-stress jobs. Burnout occurs in all groups, regardless of
occupation, income or educational level.In fact, many homeless people are burned out.This helps account for why they may give up hope or be
incapable of holding a job or supporting a home.In addition, burnout is a worldwide phenomenon today and is
not limited to certain parts of the globe.

Myth
#7.Burnout occurs only in adults.
In fact, it is common today in children and even babies. Most children
today are being born nutritionally depleted and toxic as a result of the ill
health of the parents. This can be measured with mineral analysis.Minimal brain dysfunction, chronic ear
or other infections, crib death, delayed development, learning disorders,
failure to thrive, ADHD, autism and anti-social behavior may all be symptoms
related to adrenal dysfunction in our children.Vaccination,
wholesale drugging of the children and other abominations led by our public
health authorities and the medical profession are only making the problems
worse in the long term.Children
usually respond very rapidly to nutritional balancing program.This is not at all the same as throwing
a lot of good food and vitamins at a child.It must be targeted, based on a properly performed and
correctly interpreted hair mineral analysis.I teach this science to anyone who will listen.

Myth
#8.Burnout affects only physical
health. Burnout affects every area of life. Family and work are
often affected. Relationships often suffer. One may lose interest in
everyone and everything.There
simply is not enough energy available for intimate relationships or for
activities beyond those required for survival. Friends, family and
employers are often unaware of what is occurring, which only worsens the
situation.

Myth
#9.A hectic lifestyle causes
burnout. This may be one of many causes.Oddly, however, a hectic lifestyle can also be a result of
burnout.Excessive activity,
overwork and a very busy life can be a way to stimulate one into action and a
compensation for feelings of exhaustion.When such a one stops working and running around, he will feel just how
exhausted and perhaps depressed he really is.A
hectic lifestyle can therefore be a stimulant, like caffeine or loud
music.It always makes burnout
worse, but it may be the result of burnout, not the original cause.

Myth
#10. Overwork for years causes burnout. This is possible. However, adrenal
burnoutmay also occur quickly due
to a single shock or just a few traumas that occur in rapid succession.In some cases, however, it is not be
related to any single trauma or activity.Often a combination of factors causes burnout.Whether
one goes into burnout from an illness, accident, divorce, overwork or other
stress depends very much on one’s ability to handle stress, rather than the
absolute amount of stress.In
other words, some people handle stress and trauma far better than others.For this reason, we recommend a
grounding, centering meditation to everyone with adrenal exhaustion.For more information about this, click
on the article on this website entitled, Meditation.

Myth
#11.Burnout is an overused term
without a scientific basis.Just because burnout doesn’t show up on x-rays or certain blood tests
does not mean it is not real.Burnout can be measured and quantified using tissue mineral testing and
hormone testing.The term is not
overused.In fact it is greatly
underused.A large percentage of the
population is in burnout and it would be helpful if physicians understood it
better, even if they have no drug “cure” for it.

Myth
#12.Plenty of sleep will take
care of burnout. Unfortunately, this is not so. The person in burnoutis unable to regenerate itself
adequately during sleep.In fact,
waking up tired after 8-10 hours of sleep is a primary symptom of burnout.Like a weak battery, the body
does not recharge itself during sleep.

Myth
#13.Cleaning out toxins will take
care of burnout. The accumulation of toxins that occurs as the body can no
longer remove them properly contributes to burnout. Exposure to toxic metals or
chemicals can be an important factor in burnout.Eliminating them is helpful.However, energy is required to release toxins. If the energy
system is weak, just fasting or detoxifying will not be enough.Fasting, in fact, can and usually does
make the situation worse.One
must rebuild the entire energy system by balancing body chemistry and providing
nutrients as well.A one-month or
even six-month ‘cleanse’ is nowhere near adequate.It can take over a year just to replenish one mineral.

Warning
- For those in later stages of burnout, some yin detoxification programs such
as fasting, raw foods or even chelating agents can be dangerous.This is because These therapies can
further deplete certain minerals or unbalance body chemistry in ways that can
be quite dangerous.Also, the eliminative
organs are compromised.As a
result, toxins that such programs release from various storage tissues may be redeposited in more vital organs such as the brain.This can significantly worsen one’s
health. A
gentle, complete program of rebuilding and nourishing the body must accompany
any efforts to eliminate toxins.In fact, as vitality improves, toxin elimination will proceed on its
own.

Myth
# 14.One will come out of burnout
when one changes whatever factor or behavior caused the burnout. This means
that if you just quit your stressful job or your stressful marriage, you wil recover from burnout.I
wish this were true.It is not how
it works, however.As one
goes into burnout, vital minerals become depleted and toxic substances replace
them. The toxic metals become part of the structure of enzymes and even parts
of organs and glands.For this
reason, although one changes one’s diet, lifestyle, attitudes or behavior, the
toxins remain.This is very
frustrating for people who expect a recovery after they leave a stressful
situation such as a bad marriage, for instance.

Myth
#15.To recover from burnout, just
reestablish close communication with those who are close to you. This is
the cure for burnout in one popular book.Re-establishing excellent communication with those you love is always
helpful.However, in my experience
it is usually not enough.In fact,
it can be a source of frustration.Reason for this are:

1. As stated earlier in this paper, your loved ones often do not and cannot
understand what has happened to you.
2. Burnout often affects your perception and attitudes.Therefore re-establishing good
relationships can be complex.
3. Burnout is usually a multi-faceted problem that demands a more complete
approach than just communicating better.

Myth
#16.To get out of burnout, one
needs to get back in touch with oneself.As with Myth #15, this is an excellent concept, but in my
experience is not nearly enough for recovery.One reason is that getting in touch with oneself is often complicated
when the brain has excessive toxins, thanks to adrenal exhaustion.Burnout,
for example, often causes terribly low self-esteem because one’s energy is low
and thinking is foggy or clouded.Adrenal burnout causes most of its victims to become overly
introspective.This is helpful in
some ways, but damaging in others.The positive side of this is discussed at the end of this paper, and is
very important not to miss.

Myth
# 17.One can recover from burnout
in a matter of months. It takes at least two years and often longer.Layers of toxins, infections and other
adaptations and compensations must be undone.Each adaptation uses up energy so that when one begins
correction, there is little energy to work with. This slows progress and is one
reason correction takes several years.Eliminating toxins that have become
integral parts of the organs and glands also takes time, like rebuilding a
house.Also, most people must
replenish twenty or thirty trace minerals.This takes time, even if one does all the correct procedures
to restore one’s health.If
one truly recovers in a few months, a person was not in severe burnout.However, often, a small recovery
can feel like a cure when it is not.As an analogy, those in burnout need an overhaul, not a tune up.One needs to commit to doing whatever
it takes and devoting a few years to healing.This needs to become one’s primary occupation or job for a
while, allowing all other interests and activities to become secondary to the
commitment to healing.

Myth
#18.Burnout is not an important
medical problem unless the stress of burnout causes high blood pressure or
another symptom. Burnout is degenerative exhaustion.It sets the stage for all degenerative
diseases, because energy is a common denominator of health. All
illnesses start with fatigue. The body is like a newer car with power steering,
power brakes and power windows. When the power goes down, the entire car stops
working right. Burnout is a serious medical problem, although symptoms may be
vague and unrelated to a specific disease.

Myth
#19.Burnout is a new phenomenon.
In fact, burnout is as old as humanity.Understanding adrenal exhaustion can even help us understand the rise
and fall of civilizations.For
example, it is known that many great civilizations, including perhaps our own,
have fallen slowly or even suddenly.Why does this occur?One
way to understand the fall is that the people, as a whole, go into adrenal
burnout and cannot sustain the intellectual, cultural and social traditions of
the culture.Wise leaders and
strong traditions become replaced with vulgar habits, lower moral standards and
leaders who sway the people’s passions, but do not appeal to their higher
sensitivities.Constant
wars, as occurred in Europe, can also contribute to burnout.Toxic technology can also take its
toll.The Roman Republic was
famous for its lead water pipes, for example.We are famous for our medical drug cures and surgeries, both
of which involve a lot of toxic chemicals.Industrialization has brought large amounts of many toxic
metals into our homes, air, water and food.Even
oppressive political and economic systems can contribute in some nations.This is a problem with the socialist
and fascist ideologies that spring up around the world.They repress the people and, as a
result, the people do not function well after a time.Freedom,
in contrast, tends to help people live better and function better.This was the goal of the founders of
America.I hope we have not lost
sight of the absolute value of freedom and liberty, as opposed to all other
values such as diversity or environmentalism.

Myth
#20.Burnout only affects one
generation at a time.This is
perhaps the most pernicious aspect of burnout.Children born to burned out parents will be born
nutritionally weaker and thus more prone to adrenal fatigue themselves.Children today are going into
burnout, as a result, at a younger and younger age.So the story of adrenal exhaustion cuts across generational
lives.This was ably demonstrated
by Dr. Weston Price, DDS, in his classic book Nutrition and Physical
Degeneration.

Melting pot nations like America have
an advantage in this regard.New
immigrants are often the more ambitious ones that are in better health and can
help rejuvenate the population.Also, nations that emphasize freedom and individual rights allow people
to devise better ways of coping and maintaining their health that those that
are stuck in rigid prescribed social structures.

RECOVERY FROM ADRENAL BURNOUT

Recovery
from burnout is certainly possible.Nutritional balancing has helped thousands come out of burnout.However, be prepared to spend several
years on a nutritional balancing program.

This does not mean you cannot work or
take care of your family during this time.However, lots of rest is critical and recovery still usually
takes several years of effort.The
following is an outline of the nutritional balancing approach for program for
adrenal burnout:

1. A diet of mainly cooked vegetables
and animal protein.Avoid all
vegetarian, raw food and fasting regimens.For much more information about this diet, click on the Slow Oxidizer Diet Plan.2.
Only spring water or carbon-only filtered water to drink.Adults need about 2-3 quarts
daily.If you need more, most
likely your water is not hydrating your body well.For example, reverse osmosis water is cleaner, but does not
hydrate the body nearly as well as the others above.Please avoid drinking it.Also, be sure to avoid alkaline water systems, “drinking
water” or tap water.3.
An improved lifestyle.Loads of
rest is the single most important lifestyle change.For some other details, click on The Healing Lifestyle and many other
articles on this website about lifestyle.4.
About 7 or 8nutritional
supplements.These must be
targeted and individualized using a properly performed and properly interpreted
hair mineral analysis.For more
information, click on Nutritional Balancing
And Why I Use It.5.
A detoxification protocol is helpful, though perhaps not always needed.This involves the use of a near
infrared sauna and perhaps coffee enemas or colonic irrigation.This is included with all nutritional
balancing programs.For some
general information about these procedures, click on Detoxifcation
Procedures.6.
The pushing down exercise.This is
extremely healing and powerful. Click on Meditation
to learn more about this excellent and simple procedure.7.
Shifts in your attitudes and perspectives on life, when needed.Attitudes of forgiveness, letting go,
positive attitudes, gratitude, spirituality or prayer can speed up healing
greatly.Several articles on this
website such as Letting Go and others discuss how
important these can be for healing.

Addressing all these aspects is the way
to assure success.The preceding
are general suggestions only.If
possible, work with someone on our list of recommended practitioners.These are the only people I can
recommend.Others, no matter what
their education or experience, often do not know how to correct adrenal burnout
syndrome.You may also work with
us by mail if you prefer.Click on
Find A Practitioner
for the list of approved practitioners.

What
about adrenal and other testing?In general, I require only the hair mineral analysis, with repeated
tests every six months for several years.Food allergy testing may be helpful, but usually not needed, in cases of
severe food intolerances.I
do not require hormone, blood tests or other types of tests, although I am
happy to review any tests you may have.

What
about bio-identical hormone replacement therapy? Nutritional balancing can
almost always rebuild the hormone system of the body.All hormone replacement gets in the way of this task.

Nutritional balancing, as a rule, does
not require or recommend any hormones.They are all somewhat toxic and have other problems, as well.For more information, click on Bio-identical Hormone Replacement.

What
about anti-depressants and other drug therapies for burnout? I very rarely recommend any
pharmaceutical or over-the-counter drug for any reason.Exceptions
include if one absolutely cannot sleep, perhaps.But this is one of the few exceptions.In almost all cases, correcting the
body chemistry takes care of most symptoms.I do not take people off prescribed medication.That is a matter between you and your
prescribing doctor.

THE BLESSING OF BURNOUT

Adrenal burnout can be the best thing
that happens to a person.It can
be a wake up call.Often, some
area of life is out of balance or alignment.Addressing burnout is often the starting point for a deeper
exploration of self and of life at a deeper level.Most people live superficially.Correcting adrenal burnout often causes a person to begin to
live at a much deeper level and to understand the body and mind from a more
spiritual perspective as well.

This was the case for me, and for many
patients I have worked with.I
suffered from adrenal exhaustion for a number of years.As I began to understand the condition
better, I made many changes in my diet, lifestyle and most critically, my
thinking.I also forced myself to
do coffee enemas, to walk every day, to use a sauna, and to meditate daily,
although I did not enjoy doing any these things, at first.I
let go of some family ties and other relationships that I discovered were toxic
and harmful for me.Eventually, I
also moved out of the polluted city, although the process was terrifying
because I had very little energy or money to accomplish the move.Perhaps
most important was the need for more subtle changes in attitudes and mental
tendencies.I realized how
important it is to give up all victim thinking and negative thinking.I had to let go of thinking of anyone
else as a victim, either, although that may sound like a strange attitude.I have written about this in other
articles on this website.I
also dwelled upon and developed the spiritual or deeper part of myself.This is an incredible benefit if you
can make yourself do it.In the
process, I had to leave behind the superficial life style that I, like most
people, had lived most of my life.These
shifts have served me extremely well, as they have served thousands of others I
have since worked with.Thus,
Ihave learned it is wrong to
think that adrenal burnout, or any serious condition, is just a curse to be
“handled” as quickly as possible.If you act this way, you may miss the greatest blessing of your life.